Haydock Park Racecourse opens September with one of the most awaited events of the flat season. The Betfair Sprint Cup Day will take place on Saturday, 5 September, closing the 3-day Sprint Cup Festival 2026. The culmination of the day is the Haydock Sprint Cup that headlines the day and the entire event.
The Haydock Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres). It was established in 1966 and received its Group 1 status in 1988.
In this article we will review the list of runners in this season’s race, take a look at the race card, and get an insight into major runners and market’s favourites to compete in the race.
Haydock Sprint Cup 2026 Runners
As one of the most prestigious flat races in the United Kingdom and the headline race of the Sprint Cup Festival, Haydock Sprint Cup attracts some of the top sprinters who will be led on the tracks by the most skilled jockeys. The current prize purse is £400,000. Participation in the Haydock Sprint Cup doesn’t have an upper age limit, so any runner has a chance to enter the race multiple times for an attempt to win or repeat its previous victory.
At the time of publication of this article, the list of runners declared to compete in this season’s Haydock Sprint Cup consisted of 9 contenders. Below you will find information on the runners, their trainers and confirmed jockeys.
| Runner | Age/Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
| Almeraq | 4 9-5 | Tom Marquand | W J Haggas |
| American Affair | 6 9-5 | P Mulrennan | J S Goldie |
| Aramram | 5 9-5 | S M Levey | R Hannon |
| Big Mojo | 4 9-5 | W Buick | M Appleby |
| James’s Delight | 5 9-5 | C Lee | C G Cox |
| Kind Of Blue | 5 9-5 | James Doyle | J R Fanshawe |
| Marvelman | 4 9-5 | P J McDonald | A M Balding |
| Paborus | 5 9-5 | D Tudhope | E Bethell |
| Coppull | 3 9-3 | H Crouch | C G Cox |
Almeraq
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: bay colt
- Trainer: William Haggas
- Major achievements: 4 out of 8 wins, including Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (June 2026) and Fergie & Myra Happel Ayr Gold Cup Trial Handicap (July 2025)
- Recent form: 9 – 1 – 1 – F – 1
Ever since he won the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes during the Royal Ascot week this June, Almeraq has been firmly placed among the favourites for the upcoming flat races. Previously, he added another win to his record of the 2026 victories, when he finished first in the British Stallion Studs EBF Cathedral Stakes (Salisbury, May 2026). He was also viewed as one of the strongest contenders for the Newmarket July Cup 2026 (Newmarket Racecourse, July 2026, winner Comanche Brave). Even though he finished ninth out of eleven, experts and bookmakers still see him as one of the strongest favourites for this race.
This will be the first time William Haggas’s charge, who debuted in 2024, appears on the tracks of the Haydock Park Racecourse. His past achievements include the Fergie & Myra Happel Ayr Gold Cup Trial Handicap (Ayr Racecourse, July 2025) and the British EBF Novice Stakes (Yarmouth Racecourse, October 2024).
Coppull
- Age: 3 years old
- Sex and colour: bay colt
- Trainer: Clive Cox
- Major achievements: 4 out of 9 wins, including Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes (August 2026) and Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes (May 2026)
- Recent form: 1 – 4 – 8 – 1 – 3
Coppull may have only debuted last season, but he has already shown outstanding form in these two years. He started the 2026 season by winning the Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes at the Ascot Racecourse in May. He returned to the racecourse during the Royal Ascot week to compete in the Commonwealth Cup but finished in the eighth place. However, his win in the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes at the Newbury Racecourse in August catapulted him into the top favourite contenders for the Haydock Sprint Cup.
In his debut year, Clive Cox’s charge won two out of the five races he took part in. Beginning with his maiden race Juddmonte British EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes at the Leicester Racecourse in April 2025, where he finished first among 15 runners, to Markel Richmond Stakes during the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July 2025, he showed excellent form. His appearance at the Haydock Park Racecourse will be the first in his career.
Big Mojo
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: bay colt
- Trainer: Michael Appleby
- Major achievements: 4 out of 16 wins, including FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes (August 2026) and Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (September 2025)
- Recent form: 1 – 10 – 8 – 7 – 10
Two things play into Big Mojo’s placement among the favourites of the current edition of the Haydock Sprint Cup. The first one is his status as the returning champion. In September 2025, he came to the finish line first among 17 runners, and experts together with bookmakers consider it very possible that he will repeat his success. While his start of the 2026 season wasn’t particularly successful, including the King Charles III Stakes during Royal Ascot where he finished eighth, he won his most recent race of FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes in August 2026 at the Curragh Racecourse.
Besides his spectacular victory at the last year’s Sprint Cup, Michael Appleby’s charge has appeared at the Haydock Park Racecourse one other time. In May 2025, he took part in the Betfred Sandy Lane Stakes but came to finish fourth after the winner Symbol Of Honour. His earlier wins include eventmasters.co.uk Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes at the Ascot Racecourse in April 2025 and Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes at the Goodwood Racecourse in July 2024.
Kind Of Blue
- Age: 5 years old
- Sex and colour: bay horse
- Trainer: James Fanshawe
- Major achievements: 3 out of 14 wins, including Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (October 2024) and Yates Drywall Limited Novice Stakes (May 2024)
- Recent form: 11 – 2 – 11 -2 – 3
When it comes to Kind Of Blue, it is his previous appearances at the Haydock Sprint Cup that suggest him as a very strong candidate for this year’s top favourites. He has appeared at the tracks of the race both in his debut season of 2024 and later in 2025. Both times he came to the finish line second behind Montassib and Big Mojo correspondingly. Experts believe that he has all the chances for a breakthrough this season.
Since the beginning of the 2026 season, James Fanshawe’s charge has participated in two races. His highest result was a second place in the Go Local Stores Minster Stakes in May 2026 at the York Racecourse. While his second place in the Haydock Sprint Cup in September 2025 was the peak of the season, he added three wins to his credit in his debut season of 2024: his maiden race of Unibet More Boosts In More Races Novice Stakes at the Kempton Park Racecourse in April, Yates Drywall Limited Novice Stakes at the Doncaster Racecourse in May, and Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at the Ascot Racecourse in October.
Marvelman
- Age: 4 years old
- Sex and colour: bay colt
- Trainer: Andrew Balding
- Major achievements: 2 out of 14 wins, including Betfred Park Stakes (September 2025) and Racing TV Novice Stakes (March 2025)
- Recent form: 3 – 6 – 2 – 9 – 14
Marvelman may not have the highest winning tally so far, but his latest performance at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival brought him into the limelight. He participated in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes at the York Racecourse in August 2026 and came third after the winner Notable Speech. He participated in three other races in the current season, with the highest result being the second place in the JenningsBet Chipchase Stakes in June at the Newcastle Racecourse.
Andrew Balding’s charge started his racing career in 2024 and participated in three races in his debut season, winning two second places: British EBF Joan Snow Memorial Conditions Stakes at the Salisbury Racecourse and BetVictor Lengthen The Odds EBF Maiden Stakes at the Newbury Racecourse, both in October. Both his wins took place in the 2025 season: Betfred Park Stakes at the Doncaster Racecourse in September and Racing TV Novice Stakes at the Kempton Park Racecourse in March. His declared participation in the Haydock Sprint Cup will be his first appearance at the Haydock Park Racecourse tracks.
Haydock Sprint Cup 2026 Betting Odds
In the table below you will find the odds for the runners declared to take part in the Haydock Sprint Cup 2026. Please keep in mind that odds are constantly changing before the start of the race. Make sure to check the odds before placing a bet.
| Runner | Odds |
| Almeraq | 9/4 |
| American Affair | Non-runner |
| Aramram | 25/1 |
| Big Mojo | 17/2 |
| James’s Delight | 20/1 |
| Kind Of Blue | 4/1 |
| Marvelman | 5/1 |
| Paborus | 8/1 |
| Coppull | 5/1 |
Haydock Sprint Cup Day 2026 Racecard
The Betfair Sprint Cup Day 2026 will be conducted in the first week of September as part of the Sprint Cup Festival. This horse racing fixture will include 8 races. The Haydock Sprint Cup runs as the headline race of the entire event.
Betfair Haydock Sprint Cup Day (5 September)
- When: Saturday, 5 September 2026
- Gate opening: 11:25 am
- First race: 1:25 pm
- Headline race: 3:40 pm (Haydock Sprint Cup)
- Last race: 5:25 pm
The daily race card for the Betfair Haydock Sprint Cup 2026 is as follows:
Going: soft (good to soft in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:25 pm | THE BETFAIR BACKS OPINIONS SUPERIOR MILE STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) | 1m 14y
(7f 212y +22y) |
3YO+ £95,000.00 |
| 1:55 pm | THE BETFAIR CELEBRATES BOW ECHO ASCENDANT STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) | 1m 14y
(7f 212y +22y) |
2YO £45,000.00 |
| 2:30 pm | THE BEST ODDS ON THE BETFAIR EXCHANGE HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBBPLUS RACE) | 1m 6f 74y
(1m 6f +74y) |
3YO £100,000.00 |
| 3:05 pm | THE BETFAIR EXCHANGE OLD BOROUGH CUP HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBBPLUS RACE) | 1m 6f 74y
(1m 6f +74y) |
3YO+ £100,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
| 3:40 pm | THE BETFAIR SPRINT CUP STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 1) | 6f | 3YO+ £400,000.00 |
| 4:15 pm | THE BETFAIR BE FRIENDLY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) | 5f | 3YO+ £45,000.00 Rating 86-105 |
| 4:50 pm | THE HKJC WORLD POOL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) | 7f 14y
(6f 212y +22y) |
3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 71-90 |
| 5:25 pm | THE BETFAIR.BETFAIR HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (May divide) | 1m 14y
(7f 212y +22y) |
3YO+ £20,000.00 Rating 66-85 |
Haydock Sprint Cup 2026 FAQs
When is the Haydock Sprint Cup 2026?
The Haydock Sprint Cup 2026 will take place on Saturday, 5 September, the closing day of the Sprint Cup Festival 2026. It is hosted by the Haydock Park Racecourse.
How many runners are there?
The number of runners keeps changing until the start of the race. At the moment of publication of this article, there were 9 declared runners in the race.
Who is the favourite?
The list of favourites can change between ante-post betting and after the official declarations are made. It can continue to change if more runners withdraw from the race before its start. At the moment of publication of this article, the current top five favourites are Almeraq, Coppull, Kind Of Blue, Big Mojo, and Marvelman, with Almeraq being the strongest and Coppull being the second strongest favourites.
What are the latest Haydock Sprint Cup odds?
You can find the latest Haydock Sprint Cup odds on all major bookmaking platforms that offer horse racing betting markets. You will find detailed betting odds offered by 7bet on our website.
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org